[atlasunshrugged]

Yeah, I meant to be a little tongue in cheek because there are a lot of similarities but I should have been more obvious about it.

However, I think the real difference with most of these is that they're not (as far as I know) state-controlled in the U.S. even if they end up with the same result in some cases. It may seem small because the outcome may be the same but I think it's a very important distinction - I don't love the Equifax and Experian and whoever gives me a credit score but the government should be an impartial adjudicator if there's a conflict between myself and these people about the score - what makes me nervous is when the government has no culpability and not only sets the rules but also enforces them with no recourse. Not to say I don't think that this happens in the U.S., it does all the time, but it's a whole different level compared to China or non-Democratic societies.